prosthetic
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to an artificial body part or prosthesis.
He was fitted for a prosthetic arm.
-
of or relating to the fields of surgical or dental prosthetics.
advances in prosthetic technology.
-
of or relating to a substance, item, or process used to transform a person’s appearance temporarily, especially as a theatrical special effect.
The final scene required painstaking application of prosthetic hair and skin.
noun
-
an artificial body part; a prosthesis.
Hundreds of amputees volunteered to test the new prosthetics.
-
an appearance-altering substance or item applied temporarily to a person’s face or body, especially to create a theatrical special effect.
Alien creatures are brought to life with realistic prosthetics.
Other Word Forms
- prosthetically adverb
Etymology
Origin of prosthetic
1735–40; < Modern Latin prostheticus, from Hellenistic Greek prosthetikós, equivalent to prósthet(os) “added on,” verbid of prostithе́nai “to add, put onto” ( pros- pros- ( def. ). + the-, stem of tithе́nai “to put, place” + -tos verbid suffix) + -ikos -ic ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As Floyd, David Harbour gets to show off his dance moves in the series: “It was fun to just let loose, with a fat prosthetic belly, and have a good time and dance.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026
The moves are inspired, even with the prosthetic belly you’re wearing.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026
He tells Newsbeat he spent about an hour in make-up having prosthetic scars applied to his back, and recalls director Fennell carefully checking to ensure they matched Elordi's.
From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026
After losing his right leg on the battlefield in Ukraine, Dmitry, a former fighter with Russia's Wagner paramilitary group, is walking again thanks to a new prosthetic limb.
From Barron's • Feb. 17, 2026
Augustus puffed out his cheeks, balanced on his leg, and twisted his hips, throwing the prosthetic forward.
From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
